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'''Q-T:'''
[[Larry Roush]] | [[Brian Ruthenberg]] | [[Joel Shapiro]] (JS Pipes) | [[Ben Scofield]] [[Trever Talbert]] (France/United States) | [[Scott Thile]] | [[Mark Tinsky]]  
[[Larry Roush]] | [[Brian Ruthenberg]] | [[Joel Shapiro]] (JS Pipes) | [[Ben Scofield]] | [[Trever Talbert]] (France/United States) | [[Scott Thile]] | [[Mark Tinsky]]  


'''U-Z:'''
'''U-Z:'''

Revision as of 12:10, 2 August 2007

The scope of Pipedia will ultimately be defined by its contributors. Our hope in setting it up is that it will become an extensive repository of information on tobacco pipes and their makers. Knowledgeable enthusiasts, collectors, pipe makers, and tobacconists are welcome and encouraged to contribute to Pipedia. Please click the "discussion" tab above if you'd like to dialog with the contributors about the project. Pipe smoking is allowed, encouraged, and facilitated on this site.

Featured Pipe, Brad Pohlmann Bulldog
Featured Pipe, Jeff Gracik (J. Alan Pipes) Zen Blowfish

Materials and Construction

The material and shape of a pipe has a profound influence upon the aesthetics and smoking qualities. Tobacco pipes come in many shapes and styles. For an excellent chart showing classic pipe shapes, see the chart by Bill Burney: Pipe Shapes. To see an excellent chart showing pipe parts along with their names, also by Bill Burney, see Pipe Parts.

The basis for this section is from the Wikipedia entry Smoking Pipe (tobacco).


Briar

Scott Thile Sandblast Briar, Bulldog shape

The majority of pipes sold today, whether hand made or machine made, are fashioned from briar. Briar is a particularly good wood for pipe making for a number of reasons. The first and most important is its natural resistance to fire. The second is its inherent ability to absorb moisture. The burl absorbs water in nature to supply the tree in the dry times and likewise will absorb the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion. Briar is cut from the root burl of the tree heath (Erica arborea), which is native to the rocky and sandy soils of the Mediterranean region. Briar burls are cut into two types of blocks; ebauchon and plateaux. Ebauchon is taken from the heart of the burl while plateaux is taken from the outer part of the burl. While both types of blocks can produce pipes of the highest quality, most artisan pipe makers prefer to use plateaux because of its superior graining.






Meerschaum

Meerschaum.jpg

Meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate), a mineral found in small shallow deposits mainly around the city of Eskişehir in central Turkey, is prized for its plasticity which allows it to be carved into many decorative and figural shapes. It has been used since the 17th century and, with clay pipes, represented the most common medium for pipes before the introduction of briar as the material of choice in the 19th century.

The word "meerschaum" means "sea foam" in German, alluding to its natural white color and its surprisingly low weight. Meerschaum is a very porous mineral that absorbs elements of the tobacco during the smoking process, and gradually changes color to a golden brown. Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are prized for their distinctive coloring.

In selecting a meerschaum pipe it is advisable to take assurances that the product is indeed carved from a block of meerschaum, and is not made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with an emulcifier then pressed into a pipe shape. These products are not absorbent, do not color, and lack the smoking quality of the block carved pipe.


Clay

Fox & Grapes, Pollock Clay Pipes

Clay in this case is almost always a very fine white clay. Low-quality "clay" pipes are actually made from porcelain forming techniques known as slip, and poured into a mold. These are porous, of very low quality, and impart unwanted flavors to a smoke. Top-notch clays, on the other hand are made in a labor-intensive process that requires beating all air out of the clay, hand-rolling each pipe before molding it, piercing with a fine wire, and careful firing. Traditionally, clay pipes are un-glazed. Clays burn "hot" in comparison to other types of pipes, so they are often difficult for most pipe-smokers to use. Their proponents claim that, unlike other materials, a well-made clay pipe gives a "pure" smoke, with no flavor addition from the pipe bowl. In addition to aficionados, reproductions of historical clay styles are used by some Historical re-enactors. Clay pipes were once considered disposable items and the large quantities discarded in the past are often used as an aid in dating by industrial archaeologists.



Short History Of Clay Pipes by Heather Coleman

Image Courtesy of Heather Coleman

Pipes of clay were first smoked in England after the introduction of tobacco from Virginia in the late 16th Century. Devon born sea captain, Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded colonies in the New World, was one of the first to promote this novel habit, although religious leaders did not approve and persecuted people for it. In the native Indian tribes of what we now call America, smoking had already been an important ritual that had been practised for many centuries before.

At first only the rich could afford tobacco, being an expensive luxury, although farmers soon began to cultivate fields of it here in England. However, King James 1st was not favourable and had crops destroyed. This proved to be unpopular with the people and so tobacco was then imported with tax applied. In other parts of Europe people were put to death for smoking, and yet during times of plague men, women and children were forced to smoke as it was thought to be a cure.

The habit spread quickly across the country and by the mid 17th Century the manufacture of clay pipes was a well established trade. By 1680-1700, when the industry reached a peak, almost every town and city in England had pipe makers. Millions were being produced not only for local use but also for export. The size of the pipe bowl was increased over the decades to keep up with fashion and to allow more tobacco to be consumed. Long pipes allowed a cooler smoke, but also broke more easily and so they were often thrown away on the spot after use.

Re-enactor using a clay pipe made by Heather Coleman

Around 1720 a huge industrial decline took place due to conflict within Europe and America. Snuff taking in the upper classes became popular and smoking was discouraged because of health risks. Clay pipes came back into fashion again in the 19th Century along with industrial revival and population growth. By then Dutch, French and German designers as well as English were competing for attention in a huge world market where production was also elevated to a grand form of art. Almost every aspect of everyday life was celebrated on a clay pipe including: plants, animals, birds, Coats of Arms, Royal events, names of Inns, Masonic symbolism, sporting events, advertising, heads of celebrities and even characters from mythology.

The beginning of the 20th Century was still a prosperous period; however, by the 1930’s clay pipes were in low demand once again due to changes in society, competition from the cigarette and World Wars. The humble clay that had once been so commonplace had come another full circle and, in our modern times, has been returned back to a novelty status enjoyed on occasions by collectors, nostalgic smokers and re-enactors of times past.

Further information can be found on Heather Coleman's website Dawnmist Studio

Calabash

Calabash Gourd Pipe With Meerschaum Bowl Insert & Removable Bamboo Stem Extension Courtesy of Frank

Calabash gourds (usually with meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them) have long made prized pipes, but they are labour-intensive and nowadays quite expensive. Because of this expense, pipes with bodies made of wood (usually mahogany) instead of gourd, but the same classic shape are sold as calabashes. Both wood and gourd pipes are functionally the same. They both have an air chamber beneath the bowl which serves to cool, dry, and mellow the smoke. There are also briar pipes being sold as calabashes. These typically do not have an air chamber and are named only because of their external shape.

The construction of a calabash pipe generally consists of a downward curve that ends with an upcurve where the bowl sits. This low center of gravity allows for the user to easily hold the pipe by the mouth alone, leaving his hands free. This advantage was often used by actors who wanted to depict their character smoking while permitting them to do other business simultaneously. That is why the character Sherlock Holmes, who never used this kind of pipe in the stories, is stereotypically depicted as favoring it because early dramatic productions, especially those starring William Gillette and Basil Rathbone, made this artistic decision. In fact, Holmes, who preferred very harsh tobacco, would probably have disliked the calabash because of the above-mentioned mellowing effect.

Gourds specifically intended for pipemaking are usually "hand trained" while they are still green & growing. Every few days, after the fruit has begun to develop, the grower will bend the "neck" of the gourd, until it has formed into a near semi-circle.


Family: Cucurbitaceae (koo-ker-bih-TAY-see-ay)

Genus: Lagenaria (lag-en-AR-ee-uh)

Species: Siceraria (sy-ker-AR-ee-uh)

Cultivar: Dipper(?)


Corncob

Corncob.jpg

On the other end of the scale, "corncob" pipes made from maize cobs are cheap and effective, even if some regard them as inelegant. The cobs are first dried for two years. Then they are hollowed out to make a bowl shape. The bowls are dipped in a plaster-based mixture and varnished or lacquered on the outside. Shanks made from pine wood are then inserted into the bowls. The first and largest manufacturer of corncob pipes is Missouri Meerschaum, located in Washington, Missouri in the United States.[1]. Missouri Meerschaum has produced the pipes since 1869. General Douglas MacArthur and George Lincoln Rockwell were perhaps the most famous smokers of this type of pipe, along with the cartoon characters Popeye and Frosty the Snowman.

Corncob pipes remain popular today because they are inexpensive and require no "break-in" period like briar pipes. For these two reasons, corncob pipes are often recommended as a "Beginners pipe." But, their enjoyment is by no means limited to beginners. Corncob pipes are equally valued by both learners, and experienced smokers who simply desire a cool, clean smoke. Pipesmokers who wish to sample a wide variety of different tobaccos and blends also might keep a stock of corncobs on hand to permit them to try new flavors without "carryover" from an already-used pipe, or to keep a potentially bad tasting tobacco from adding its flavor to a more expensive or favored pipe.


Alternative Woods Used For Pipemaking

Although briar pipes are by far the most popular, various other woods are also used by pipe makers. Click on the wood type to see examples of pipes made with these woods. Many thanks to pipemaker Elie for suggesting this section.

African Blackwood or Mpingo | Link to Wikipedia on African Blackwood/Mpingo.

Cherry Wood | Link to Wikipedia on Cherry Wood.

Leadwood | Link to Wikipedia on Leadwood.

Manzanita | Link to Wikipedia on Manzanita.

Morta (Fossilized Oak) | Link to Wikipedia on Morta

Olive Wood | Link to Wikipedia on Olive Wood.

Osage Orange | Link to Wikipedia on Osage Orange.

Pear Wood | Link to Wikipedia on Pear.

Strawberry Wood | Link to Wikipedia on Strawberry Wood.

Walnut | Link to Wikipedia on Walnut.


Subsections under development

Pipe Packing and Smoking techniques (Beginning Pipe Smoking)

Pipe care/cleaning (also repairs)

Pipe Tobaccos

Pipe Marks & Logos

Pipe Making

Pipe makers by location

It would be great to see an overview and history of pipe making heading up each region. Please feel free to contribute information to the individual sections. Pipe makers in red still need bios (just click on them and add any information you have), and the others linked in blue could be expanded on. Feel free to add other pipe makers you've a particular interest in or knowledge of. Please let me know if you need any help managing the wiki: mailto:sethile.pipes@gmail.com


Canada

Canadian pipe making is very individual. Some styles are very traditional, showing definite Old World roots, while others are heavily influenced by the Danish freehand movement.

Canadian makers: John Calich (J.Calich) | Stephen Downie | Julius Vesz | Michael Parks | Cats Paw Pipes (Bill & Terri Weist)


Denmark

We highly recommend the following article on the history of Danish pipe making by Jakob Groth. More Pipe maker articles coming soon to this section. Those in red still need articles. Please dive in if you'd like to help. Very thankfully there exists an excellent site dedicated to Scandinavian pipe makers. We highly recommend danishpipemakers.com

Danish pipe makers (alphabetical by last name)

A-B: Kurt Balleby | S. Bang (Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier) | Knud Bech | Leo Børgart

C-G: Jess Chonowitsch | Tom Eltang | Karl Erik | Former (Hans Nielsen) | Ingo Garbe

H: Per Hansen (see S. Bang) | Poul Hansen | Hans Hartmann | Peter Heding | Peter Heeschen | Gert Holbek | Preben Holm

I-J: Poul Ilsted | Lars Ivarsson | Nanna Ivarsson | Sixten Ivarsson (Sweden/Denmark) | Georg Jensen | Peder Jeppesen | Johs | Benni Jørgensen | Anne Julie

K-M: Teddy Knudsen| Johan Kock | Jørgen Larsen | Jørn Larsen | Manduela | Jørn Micke

N: Neerup | Bjarne Nielsen | Erik Nielsen | Hans Nielsen (see Former) | Ivan Holst Nielsen | Jørgen Nielsen | Kai Nielsen | Tonni Nielsen (Denmark/United States) | Viggo Nielsen | Ulf Noltensmeier (see S. Bang) | Erik Nørding

O-S: Kent Rasmussen | Poul Rasmussen | Søren Refbjerg | Lasse Skovgaard | Kjeld Sørensen (Red Hat Pipes) | Stanwell

T-Z: Tao | Helmer Thomsen | Bjørn Thurmann | Arne Urup | P.H. Viggen | Poul Winslow


France

Alain Albuisson | Butz Choquin | Paul Lanier | Trever Talbert (France/United States) | Vuillard


Germany

Frank Axmacher | Rainer Barbi | Paul Becker | Reiner Thilo Bindschädel | Axel Glasner | Holger Haettich | Jarugski | Cornelius Mänz | Jürgen Moritz | Heiner Nonnenbroich | Hans Günter Noske | Axel Reichert | Tom Richard | Bertram Safferling | Manuel Shaabi (Ex Lebanon) | Nils Thomsen

More pipe maker articles coming soon. There exists an excellent site dedicated to German pipe makers. We highly recommend German Pipemakers

German resources:

Berlin Tobacco College: The Berlin Tobacco College is open to the public and meets Thursday evenings at 8:00 in a local Berlin cafe. Sharing ideas, experiences, and good tobacco, the Berlin Tobacco College members welcome anyone interested in pipe smoking. In addition to pipe club evenings, the Berlin Tobacco College organizes the Berlin Pipe show and participates in the annual Berlin Christmas Charity event organized by Frank Zander. Website

East German Pipe Smokers Association: Under the Direction of the German Pipe Smokers Association, we are working in conjunction with other pipe clubs to build the East German Pipe Smokers Association. Website

Support of d.a.f.t home page: Nils Thomsen Pipes is an active member and supporter of the d.a.f.t home page and forum. Website

Pipe Making Workshop: On Saturdays it is possible to spend the day making your own pipe form start to finish. The day begins at 10:00 a.m. with a coffee and a Briar block and ends in the evening in a cafe and your finished self-made pipe. These appointments are typically one to one and do not require previous wood-working experience. Participants pay approximately 200.00 € which includes the material. Website

Pipe smoking class for beginners: Every second Thursday evening of each month at 7:00 in the store, you are invited to join a beginners class in pipe smoking. Website


Great Britain

Ashton | Barling | Blakemar Briars (Michael Billington) | Castleford | Comoy | Dunhill (Hardcastle) | Ferndown (L. & J.S. Briars)(Ellwood) | GBD | London Castle Pipes (G. Huybrecht) | Ben Wade | Ian Walker (Northern Briar Pipes)


Ireland

Peterson


Italy

Aldo Velani | Ardor | Ascorti | Bonfiglioli Alberto | Baldo Baldi | Paolo Becker | Brebbia | Calabria Pipe | Caminetto | Castello | Corrado | Don Carlos | Gasparini | Il Ceppo | Tonino Jacono | L'Anatra | Le Nuvole | Armellini Mauro | Radice | Domenico Romeo | Fratelli Rossi | Stefano Santambrogio | Amorelli Salvatore | Savinelli | Luigi Viprati

More pipe maker articles coming soon. Very thankfully there exists an excellent site dedicated to Italian pipe makers. We highly recommend italianpipemakers.com


Japan

Shizuo Arita | Takeo Arita | Tsutomu Fukashiro | Smio Satou | Hiroyuki Tokutomi | Tsuge


Spain

Segimon Baulenas (Pipas Sigmund) | Rafa Martin (Pipes Martin) | Jean P. Soler | Joan Saladich


Sweden

Although much deserved credit has been given to Danish pipemakers & the "Danish Freehand" style, a lot of credit has to go to a handful of brilliant and innovative Swedish pipemakers, not the least of whom was Bo Nordh (may he smoke & rest in peace).

Björn Bengtsson | Bengt Carlson | Love Geiger | Sixten Ivarsson (Sweden/Denmark) | Arne Ljung | Bo Nordh | Dura Semjaniv | Ronny Thunér | Vollmer & Nilsson

More pipe maker articles coming soon. Very thankfully there exists an excellent site dedicated to Swedish pipe makers. We highly recommend Svenska Pipklubben and extend many thanks to Jan Andersson, club secretary (and pipe smoker, of course).


United States

Like the rest of modern American culture, American pipe making is heavily influenced by the European schools, although Asian aesthetics, at least as they play out in pipes, have also become a notable influence. In particular, the Italian, English, and French schools, with their traditional shapes, have formed the basis for the work of many American pipe makers who have pored over collections of old Dunhills, Barlings, GBDs, Costellos, Savinelli's, etc.. Many of these shapes were well established by the 1920s. Others are heavily influenced by the makers of Danish high grade pipes, who have likewise been influenced by their mentors, the fathers of the Danish freehand movement of the 1950's and '60s.

A new generation of American pipe makers have emerged. Many have made the trek to high grade pipe mecca to study with the master carvers. They have brought back an entire school of technique and aesthetic and made it their own. Others combine the traditional and freehand styles in a unique combination. Regardless of their influences, many of these American pipe makers are pursuing pipe making with a tremendous passion and energy, and an individual spirit, not unlike the one that molded the country.

A-D: Scott Anderson | E. Andrews (Ed Jerkiewicz) | Paul Bonaquisti | Kirk Bosi | Mike Brissett | Mike Butera | J.T. Cook | John Crosby | Jody Davis (J. Davis) | Rad Davis

E-H: John Eells | Skip Elliott | Lee von Erck | Jeff Gracik (J. Alan Pipes) | Gray Mountain Pipes (Mark Gradberg) | Jack Howell | Kurt Huhn

I-M: Todd Johnson | David Johnson (Ozark Mountain Briars) | Tyler Lane | Michael Lindner | Andrew Marks

N-P:Elliott Nachwalter | Rolando Negoita (US/Romania) | Tonni Nielsen (Denmark/United States) | Brad Pohlmann | Will Purdy

Q-T: Larry Roush | Brian Ruthenberg | Joel Shapiro (JS Pipes) | Ben Scofield | Trever Talbert (France/United States) | Scott Thile | Mark Tinsky

U-Z: Tim West | Randy Wiley


Others

Sergey Ailarov (Russia) | Ebenhart Botha (South Africa) | Leon du Preez (South Africa) | Elie (Belgium/Portugal) | Leonardo Herrera (Chili) | Josef Prammer (Austria) | Misha Revyagin (Mr. Pipes) (Russia) | Johan Slabbert (JOBERT) (South Africa) | Georgi Todorov - Getz (Russia) | Franz von Matt (Switzerland) | David Wagner Baff (Austria) | Viktor Yashtylov (Russia)


Off site links related to pipe smoking

Pipes.org(lots of great links and a wealth of information)

NASPC.org (North American Society of Pipe Collectors)

A.S.P (the web home of alt.smokers.pipes, a very active and interesting newsgroup)

TobaccoReviews.com (a fantastic site to research tobaccos you might enjoy)

Smoking pipe (tobacco) article on Wikipedia

PipeMakersForum.com (Great information on pipe making and fellowship with pipe makers)